Southampton Biere de Garde (French Country Christmas Ale)

Brewed by Southampton Publick House
Style: Bière de Garde
Southampton, New York USA

Sampled a pint of the 2006 version of this beer on draught at the Publik House in Southampton, NY on 12/4/06. As far as biere de garde goes, I don’t see how you could get any better than this beer. It was flawless, and one of the most delicious beers I have tasted in quite some time. This beer pours to a beautiful, bright, deep copper color, with a creamy white head, and a good carbonation. The nose on this beer is wonderful, with lots of good aromas of pale malt, light toast, light nuts, fresh baked bread, caramel, and some hints of peppery alcohol. The mouthfeel on this beer is slightly slick and buttery, as waves of fantastic malt flavor coat the tongue. As in the nose, delicious flavors of fresh baked bread, light toast, nuts, and caramel. There is a hints of plummy fruit, but a rich, delicious, clean, malt flavor is the star of this show. This beer finishes with more fantastic malty flavors up front, then ends with some good, peppery alcohol that warms and lingers. On draught at the brewpub, this beer is phenomenal. Worth the trip to Southampton, and I was happy to take a growler to go of this one.

Wonderful! Heathery, slight wet bandage, fruity esters in the apple pear range, clean finish, big aroma, cleansing palate, joyous!! My vote for Best in Show at Austin Tasting I

Creamy head, caramel malt aroma, firm and sweet malt foundation (similar to De Koninck?) Nice alcohol punch and subtle bitterness.

750 mL bottle (corked & caged, 2004 – sampled April 2005): loud cork removal and a beautiful pour: brilliant & fiery red-orange body with a tall, rocky and creamy light tan head, which persists without fail. Thick Styrofoam lace forms all over the inside of the glass. Fruity, yeast esters fill a robust aroma with luscious red apples, soft over ripe pears, sweet sourdough, dusty alcohol, and golden raisins. Elegant, velvety palate with orange zest and coriander spices most evident. Sweet marmalade covered biscuit flavours are more pronounced by the bitter hoppiness and well developed spice and yeast. Certainly a winner, possibly enhanced by the year+ in the cellar…Addition of the dregs adds an iron and blood component to the aroma, adding even more complexity and a perhaps a more traditional barnyard essence? Flavours stay fairly consistent, with perhaps a bit more bitterness and touch of metallic character. Worth the wait and a testament to perhaps how things used to be.

750corked bottle: Hazy, penny-colored beer,with pillows of tightly,beaded bubbles. Excellent aroma of caramel,bread,wood,perfumey hops,and a little alcohol.Little barnyard as well. Mouthfeel is somewhat spritzy,but it coats the mouth and lingers.Flavors of caramel,grape,wood,light spice and some subtle sourness.Finish warms the insides leaving bready,earthy-hop flavors.The flavors and alcohol please.As the beer rests and loses carbonation the flavor and palate improve nicely,making finishing this big bottle a very fun time.THe finish turns to fine toffee and lingers forever. By the end of the bottle the barnyard flavors fool you into thinking you are drinking a true French biere de garde. A perfect big bottle to drink by yourself,the longer it sits,the better it gets. Nice looking bottle as well.

Multiple orange hues descend into the depths of the wine glass I'm using. Quite translucent around the edges. Lots of tiny foam bubbles cling to life before expiry. Aroma is fresh baked bread and yeast, a touch of white wine and some unidentifiable, unexpected sweetness - sugar? Chablis flavors, along with a melding of subtle bitterness and sugar. Effervescent on the palate but still of some real gravity. Is it just suggestion or is the alcohol hitting fast and furious? Winey like 3 Monts but better! On the other hand, has the haylike farmhouse complexity of La Bavasienne but sweeter - fabulous - a big thanks to TAR for this gem!

A warm and fuzzy mouthfeel, filling my mouth with the goodness this beer brings. Very sweet and malty, with definite caramel present. Heavy yet smooth. This is good stuff. Frothy white head on a dark amber body. I wonder what the alcohol content is?

Very, very, good. Poured a deep golden color with a nice white head. Taste was a bit spritzy with apple-like flavors coming through. Definitely worth a try.